AKAI account goes to Metaphor

By
, agencyfaqs! | In | October 14, 2002

Metaphor Communications has won the Rs 25-crore AKAI account from iB&W on the back of a creative presentation

Metaphor Communications has won the Rs 25-crore AKAI account from iB&W on the back of a creative presentation. agencyfaqs! readers would recall the story "AKAI's Rs 25-crore advertising account under review" we ran last month where we stated that the AKAI business was being fought over by Publicis, Metaphor, Overture Communications and defending agency iB&W. As it turns out, Metaphor bested the other three to clinch the creative duties of AKAI. The media duties remain with Crossway Communications.

The agency made the a creative presentation based on the brief, as described by Basant Pande, CEO, AKAI, "…how to package a better deal, so that the value aspect that AKAI offers comes out as a 'Badge'". Elaborates Pande, "If AKAI were to take one stance - as LG has taken Health, Samsung has taken Digital - it would be 'Value'."

Explaining the reason for choosing Metaphor over the others, Pande says, "The creative pitch made by Metaphor with their brand path was what convinced us the most. They displayed a deep understanding of the market we are in. They had a strategy for themselves, which they called 'Grassroot Business Communications'. This, along with the value proposition they propounded for our potential customers, clinched the deal for them."

Obviously, the first task for Metaphor is to correct the image of AKAI and transform it from a brand associated with heavy discounts to a brand that delivers value. As the company found out, most consumers purchased AKAI primarily because they got great offers, exchange deals, or simply a fantastic price. "Interestingly, more than 80 per cent of the buyers were surprised by the quality of the product. They were thrilled about the features, the three-year warranty etc, which convinced them about the longevity of the product," says Pande.

Ironically, the problem with AKAI is that the product delivers much more than what it is perceived to be. "We have sold about 2.5 million units in the country already. That is, we have been selling one unit every minute for the last eight years (taking a 12-hour day factor). Now we want to convey the pride of ownership when buying an AKAI, and convince prospective buyers that buying an AKAI is the 'sensible choice of sensible people'," remarks Pande.

Besides the job of image correction, Metaphor needs to boost the growth curve of AKAI as well. "The agency has been briefed to load the communication with 'appeal' and to make the entire communications strategy effective," explains Pande.